Across the nation.

Poverty Rates Fell In 47 States In Mid-'90s, Census Bureau Says

February 12, 1999|By From Tribune News Services.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Poverty declined in every state except Hawaii, Idaho and Montana between 1993 and 1995, according to new government figures. But the poverty rates still varied widely across the country -- from 21.4 percent in Mississippi to 6.9 percent in New Hampshire.

Nationally, 13.8 percent of Americans lived in poverty in 1995, the Bureau of the Census says in data being released Friday. In 1995, a family of four was considered poor if its income was below $15,569 per year. For a family of three, it was $12,158.

The estimates also examined median income levels in each of the nation's states and counties. Nationally, the typical family earned $34,076 in 1995, but that ranged considerably across the nation -- from $26,495 in Oklahoma to $44,345 in New Jersey.

The variations are explained by a variety of factors, including economic conditions in each state, the types of industry operating and such demographics as the portion of single-parent households, said Gregory Acs, senior research associate at the Urban Institute.

Each year, $20 billion in federal money is allocated based on the poverty rates in each county. Because so much rides on these numbers, the Bureau of the Census updates its estimates every few years. The latest update is based on 1995 figures.

The last previous report was conducted for 1993, when the economy was not as strong. As a result, poverty was higher and incomes were lower. Each estimate is based on a three-year average, meaning the 1993 figures represent the average of 1992-1994, and the 1995 figures average 1994-96.